Deep-fried turkey: very tasty, and very dangerous

As our holiday cooking season begins, our homes will soon be filled with the aromas of food being cooked. Undoubtedly some will also be filled with smoke, hopefully from a few overcooked appetizers rather than a kitchen or grease fire. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, home fires involving cooking peak on major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving has triple the average number of fires involving cooking equipment.

Cooking fires are very common and usually avoidable. They are the most frequent cause of fires in homes. Cooking related fires were responsible for 40 percent of all reported fires in homes, and in over 80 percent of fires in apartment buildings. Unattended equipment is a key factor of these fires. 

Where do these fires start?

Ranges or cooktops are the appliances involved in the majority of cooking fires. The most common cause of these fires is due to unattended cooking, with food igniting into fire. Two-thirds of house fires involving cooking equipment begin with the ignition of food, mostly being fat, oil, or grease. These fires cause roughly three-quarters of civilian deaths, injuries and direct property damage associated with food ignitions.

Some appliances and ovens are designed to have high heat and flames within. Do not open the door of your oven or microwave if you see unusual flames or smoke inside. Keep the door closed, this will limit the spread of the smoke or fire, if possible turn off the appliance, and call the fire department. 

Follow these tips when cooking or dealing with a cooking fire:

•Stand by your pan. Don’t leave unattended food cooking on the stovetop.

•Put a lid on a grease fire to smother it, and then turn off the heat.

•Smother baking soda over a grease fire. It is an extinguishing agent. Never use flour instead of baking soda, it can increase the fire.

•Never move a burning pan. You can be badly burned or spread the fire.

•Never throw water on or use a water extinguisher on a grease fire. Water will only spread the fire. The force of the extinguisher can splash flaming grease out of the pan. 

•Keep pot handles turned inward to prevent accidental spills of hot contents.

•Create a three-foot “child-free zone” around the stove.

•Keep combustible objects such as pot holders, towels, paper or plastic bags away from heating elements.

•Don’t place any metal inside a microwave. Utensils, aluminum foil or twist-tie wraps can arc and cause a fire.

•Don’t use the oven to store items, especially oven mitts or towels.  

I strongly recommend against deep-frying turkeys; I consider turkey fryers to be dangerous. They present numerous safety hazards, something that has been noted by the Underwriters Laboratory, which states, “Based on our test findings, the fryers used to produce those great-tasting birds are not worth the risks. And, as a result of these tests, UL has decided not to certify any turkey fryers with our trusted UL mark."

While I recommend against it, if you use a turkey fryer, please use the following tips:

•They should always be used outdoors at a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials.

Never use in a garage or on a wooden deck.

•Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. 

•Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.

•Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you do not watch it carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.

•Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.

•To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.

•Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles.  Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.

•Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix; water causes oil to spill over causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.

I hope this article serves you well especially during this holiday season. Hopefully I won’t be seeing you, and if so, for a false alarm. Remember, unattended items on a stove have the greatest incidence of fire, and covering a pan fire with a lid is the safest way to put it out.

Lt. Sam Pinto is a career firefighter, paramedic, nationally certified fire instructor, and certified fire and life safety educator. He can be reached at SPinto@iaff287.org